Shi Muyuan stuffed her mouth full of delicious food with a satisfied look on her face. Her cheeks puffed out like a cute chubby hamster.
Yao Kun, sitting opposite her, was also whetted by her appetite. She mimicked Shi Muyuan and ate heartily. The two young girls actually devoured nearly half of the large table of dishes.
Yan Mo, coming downstairs, saw their eating styles and narrowed his fox - like eyes with a smile. He couldn't help but recall the food he had just eaten. Was it really that delicious?
Huo Qizhou naturally saw it too. He just wondered in his heart. Could it be that there was a shortage of food for her in the palace? How could she eat like this?
Yan Mo originally wanted to go up and say hello, but the national master walked out of Tianxiang Pavilion without a pause. There was nothing he could do. The case was urgent, so he could only follow slowly.
After Shi Muyuan was full, when she looked up to take a break, she saw a familiar figure. The shiny fox fur coat was obviously something of high - quality.
Afraid of being seen by that person, she forcibly lowered her body. Her face was almost buried in the bowl. As a result, her overly - full stomach almost made her vomit.
Thank goodness. She wasn't seen by that annoying guy.
Shi Muyuan generously took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. Her small hand patted her stomach, looking as if she was three months pregnant.
The imperial cuisine in the palace was of course extremely good. Although the civilian dishes were not as delicate as those in the palace, the stir - fried home - cooked dishes with plenty of oil and high heat had a unique flavor.
Even eating five - star Michelin cuisine every day would get boring, right?
After they finished eating, they took a short break and then set off to rent a carriage to go to the suburbs to find the opera troupe.
The road was a bit bumpy. Yao Kun had never driven a carriage before. Without a guide, they didn't know where the opera troupe was. They just wandered around aimlessly.
Shi Muyuan was so full that this journey was nothing but torture. Later, when she felt she really couldn't bear it anymore, she called for a stop. She jumped out of the carriage in one stride, leaned against a tree trunk, and it took her a while to hold back the urge to vomit.
Yao Kun patted her back in a somewhat flustered way, hoping she would feel better.
They had set off to find the place right after dinner. In winter, the sun set early. The daylight was gradually dimming. They were in the forest, and the golden sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves. Shi Muyuan saw a slowly approaching carriage.
The carriage body was magnificent, inlaid with some jewels. The horses pulling the carriage also looked extraordinary.
Could they be people going to see the opera troupe too? Shi Muyuan guessed. She was about to step forward to inquire when it seemed that the person in the carriage heard something from the coachman and lifted the curtain to look at her.
Goodness! A familiar face appeared in front of her. She had just managed to avoid him, but now she met him again. What a fateful bond. Shi Muyuan smacked her lips.
There was no way to avoid him this time. Shi Muyuan simply straightened up and tried to look less disheveled. After all, she had just been in an unseemly state trying not to vomit.
Yan Mo also smiled and stopped the carriage. He got off and walked up to the two girls.
"Yo, we meet again. Are you following me? I know I'm extremely handsome, and it's taken you a lot of effort, girl. But I'm really sorry. Please don't make things difficult for me."
"Pfft." The feeling of nausea that Shi Muyuan had just managed to hold back welled up again. "You're so narcissistic! I'm just lost."
"Lost? How did you end up getting lost in this forest when you were fine in the city?" Yan Mo took out his stone and played with it, with an expression on his face that seemed to say "I understand".
Shi Muyuan was extremely angry, but then she thought that she was really lost and needed his help. A real hero knows when to yield. She'd deal with him later.
"I heard there's a fun opera troupe in the suburbs and wanted to take a look. Who knew I'd get lost in the forest? Isn't that normal?"
Seeing that they were just two young girls without even a single attendant, Yan Mo couldn't help but lecture them: "You two are really brave. Which family's girls are you? Did you sneak out on your own?"
"It's none of your business." Shi Muyuan blushed.
"I advise you to go back earlier. Don't you know it's dangerous?" Yan Mo's gaze fell on Yao Kun. After a pause, he added, "Even if she's good at martial arts, she may not be able to protect both of you."
The young girl stared back at him defiantly. This made Yan Mo feel embarrassed. He awkwardly touched his nose and turned his head.
"Are you also going to see that opera troupe?"
"Yes. I have some business to attend to."
"Take us with you then."
"No. I've told you it's dangerous. Why do you still want to go?"
"Where's the danger? Isn't it just going to watch a circus?"
"Tsk, you're really something." How could Yan Mo tell her that there was something wrong with the opera troupe? He was going there to investigate a case. He turned his head and glanced at his own carriage. The national master was sitting inside, taking a leisurely nap.
Although this girl was afraid that Huo Qizhou would take her back, it was obvious that the national master didn't intend to interfere with her. But they did know each other to some extent. Didn't Huo Qizhou intend to stop her? Did they have a feud?
"Anyway, you two should go back quickly. It'll be even more unsafe in this forest when it gets dark. And don't you think it's strange that a circus would hide in the forest to perform?"
Shi Muyuan was a bit intimidated by him. She was a bit conflicted in her heart. It was indeed a bit strange, but many people had gone to watch it, right? And she was also curious if this opera troupe was like the circus acrobatics in her past life. So she raised her little face, with star - like glimmers in her dark eyes.
"Then can you take us there?"
Yao Kun's face turned completely sour. Her delicate eyebrows were knitted together. She folded her arms across her chest and turned away, not looking at them.
Yan Mo felt extremely frustrated. He had already said it was dangerous and not to go, but they still wanted to go. If something really happened, he couldn't bear the responsibility.
Yan Mo frowned seriously: "No. Please go back earlier, girl." Then he got back into the carriage.
Huo Qizhou had opened his eyes long ago, listening to the commotion outside.
The cold wind blew up the carriage curtain. Huo Qizhou saw the woman outside in a lake - green dress. She seemed not to feel the cold at all. She wasn't even wearing a cloak. Her little braids hung in front of her. Her eyes were full of pleading as she looked at Yan Mo.
Compared to the noble queen mother in the palace, she was completely different. He could hardly recognize her. She was like a gentle and lovely young girl from a noble family who had sneaked out to play. She was quite endearing.
She was a bit like how she used to be before entering the palace. How good she was at pretending!
Huo Qizhou let out a disdainful snort.
"Why not take them with us?"
"Ancestor, when did you become so muddle - headed? This case is related to the disappearance of women. How can we send two more women there?" Yan Mo gave him a cross look.